Toy theater.



CHRISTINA CATREVAS, F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

TOY THEATER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 18, 1914.

Application filed April 9, 1914. Serial No. 830,632.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTINA CA'rnnvAs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Toy Theaters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to toys such as are cut from stifi' paper or cardboard and folded or otherwise built into the desired object.

The present invention contemplates the formation of a theater, the several parts thereof to be printed or outlined on suitable material from which the may be cut and folded or otherwise associated and connected together to represent, in miniature, a playhouse stage with removable scenery, and all so constructed that characters in a play may be entered onto the stage and manipulated thereon by children playing with the toy.

To this end the invention consists in the representation and structure of parts for the purpose specified and in the combination thereof substantially as set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings which form a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a blank for a toy theater, the several parts thereof being formed and associated for folding with respect to one another; Fig. 2 represents a vertical transverse section through the structure when completed by properly cutting and folding the parts of the blank, said section being taken in the plane indicated in Fig. 1 by the line 2--2; Fig. 3 represents aback drop;

Fig. 4 represents a piece on which may be depicted any desired bit of scenery such as an interior or an exterior of a cottage; Fig. 5 shows a pair of wings of which there may be as many as desired: Fig. 6 shows in perspective the blank of Fig. 1 cut and folded into theater form, to which other parts have been added as indicated by dotted lines; Fig. 7 shows the proscenium arch; Fig. 8 represents the foot-light strip; Fig. 9 represents the curtain; Fig. 10 shows a blank from which one of the lateral stays may be formed Fig. 11 represents such stay formed and ready for use; Fig. 12 shows a plan -view of a strip of cardboard for use in manipulating characters upon the stage; and Fig. 13 represents said strip in edge view and shows the manner of securing a character thereto.

Referring to the blank represented in Fig. 1 of the drawing 15 indicates the base portion of the theater, 16 the front, 17 the back, 18 the short sides, all of which parts are hinged together along incised or weakening lines 19, whereby the front, back and sides may be readily folded into vertical position about the base portion. To the short sides, floor strips 20 are hinged alon V incised lines 21, so that they. may be folde at right angles to the sides 18. Side strips 22 and 22 are hinged to the front and back along incised lines 23 that they may be folded at right angles to the front and back. Notohes 24 are cut into the floor strips 20 at the ends of the incised lines 21. These notches are of a width equal to the thickness of the cardboard from which the blank of Fig. 1 is made and in depth equal the width of the side strips 22, so that when the parts are folded into the form indicated in Fig. 6, said side strips enter said notches and thus interlocking materially assist in the production of a stable structure. The floor of the stage is chiefly formed from the middle of the front portion of the blank of Fig. 1. This part 25 of the floor is cut from said portion 15 along the lines 26 but rema ns hinged to said portion along the incised line 27, so that it may be folded down to horizontal position when the front has been erected. To support the rear edge of the floor, a strip 28 may be pasted to the back and for the support of the side of the floor, pieces 29 may be pasted to the fioor strips 20. The strip 28 furnishes support for the rear ends of the side strips 20, while pieces 30 pasted upon the front 16' furnish support for the front ends of said strips. To hold the front and back in vertical posit1on,s1de stays 31 and 32 are provided. These stays may be formed from a blank seen in Fig. 10 which is provided with a longitudinal slit 33 at one end and transverse notches 34 at the other end and an incisedv line 35 through its middle along which said blank may be folded into the form for use shown in Fig. 11. Notches 36 are formed in the upper end of the back (Fig. 1) at the hinge lines 23 for the reception of the rear ends of the stays 31 and 32, whose notches 34 also engage said back. The forward ends of said stays, by virtue'of their slits 33, straddle the side strips 22 and 22 of the front to which they may be pasted or otherwise secured as indicated in Fig. 6.

The blank of Fig. 1 having been cut and folded and the parts united as above described, other parts may be readily added thereto as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6. The proscenium arch 37 (Fig. 7) cut from paper or cardboard and decorated as desired may be inserted against the rear face of the front and a foot-light'strip 38 (Fig. 8) may be pasted across the front of the stage as indicated in Fig. 6. The front may be decorated in any suitable manner to represent the confines of a stage opening. A. back drop 39, out in the form indicated in Fig.3 and decorated to suit the play in which it is to appear, may be put in place by inserting its tenons 40 into appropriate slots-41 in the side strips 20 and placing the hooks 42, formed at its upper corners, over the side stays 31 and 32 and at the same time including in said notches the upper ends of the side strips 22, which helps to increase the stability of the structure. Other slots are formed in the floor strips 20 and in part 25 as indicated in Figs. 1' and 6, for the rece tion of tenons of wings or other pieces 0 scenery, which pieces are also provided with suitable hooks at their upper ends for engagement with stays 31 and 32. The piece of scenery 43, Fig. 4, is provided with tenon 44 and hooks 45 by which it may be located in the manner just mentioned. This piece is shown (Fig. 6) located parallel to the side of the theater, its tenon in a slot 46 and its hooks engaging stay 32, said hooks being hinged to the main portion of the piece along incised lines 46 so that they may be bent at any desired angle. Obviously this piece of scenery may be located obliquely to the side as by lacing its tenon in one of the oblique slots 4 in which case but one of its hooks would engage the lateral stay. The ordinary wings of atheater, indicated at 48, Fig. 5, may be provided with tenons 49 and hooks 50, the latter to engage stays 31 or 32 and the former for insertion in oblique slots 47 or in transverse slots 51 in floor strips 20 as desired. 4

' A curtain formed from suitable light fabric 52, Fig. 9, may be fastened to a roller 53 and have a stick 54 at its bottom of S111? ficient weight to unroll the cu'rtainfrom said roller. The roller 53 has axles at its ends for insertion in the eyelets 55in the secured by taking several turns about a cleat 57 formed by notching theedge of the side strip 22 as indicated in Figs. 1 and 6.

The characters of the various plays that shall be performed on this theater may be constructed in any suitable way and dressed to suit their part. It is desirable however to so form the base of each character that it may be secured to a strip for the manipulation thereof on the stage. To illustrate this a character is typified at 58, Fig. 13, provided with a base 59 adapted to be inserted under clips 60 on the moving strip 61 (Figs. 12 and 13). These clips are formed by cutting along the lines 62 and bending the free ends thereof up above the surface of the strip. One or more of these moving strips 61 may be provided in accordance with the play put on. Wings, back drops and difierent pieces of scenery are to be provided and decorated to appropriately accompany different plays.

The invention claimed is 1. A toy theater comprising a base, a back and a front hinged to the base, short sides also hinged to the base, floor strips hinged to said sides to be folded over at right angles thereto, corner strips hinged to the edges of the front and back and adapted to fold at right angles thereto and to interlock with the sides and folded over floor strips, a floor adapted to lie in between said floor strips, and stays for holding up the front and back substantially as set forth.

2. A blank, for a folding toy theater, consisting of a base portion, back and front portions joined to the base portion along incised or weakened lines, short side portions joined in a like manner to the base portion, floor strips also joined in like manner to the side portions, and a floor portion out free on three sides from the middle of said front portion and joined thereto on the fourth side along an incised or Weakenedline, substantiallyas shown and described.

3. A folding toy theater having its base, back, front, short sides and floor cut in one piece from a sheet of cardboard, the main portion of the floor being out free on three sides from the middle of said front and the side strips of the floor being foldedin from the tops of the short sides, and supports and stays for holding the several parts in place when folded into theater form.

4. A folding toy theater having its base, back, front, short sides and floor in one piece cut from a sheet of cardboard, the

main portion of the floor being out free on 10 right angles to them, stays engaging said corner strips for holding up the front and back, and a rolling curtain the upper stick of which is journalecl in the corner strips of the said front.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature 15 in presence of two witnesses.

CHRISTINA CATREVAS. Witnesses:

D. H. DECKER, NATHANIEL FISHMAN. 

